Monday, December 24, 2012

So, it has finally happened ! We, the great Indians have
managed to do it yet again. Only this time, it seems so many fold more
preposterous.

Sachin R. Tendulkar has finally called it quits as far as
one-day international cricket is concerned. Something which would comfort and
console a lot of ‘well-wishers’ of Indian cricket. It has been for a long time
now that people who consider themselves cricket intellectuals have been
demanding for Sachin to retire. And the reasons for this demand have ranged from
age-issues to dip in form and about making way for youngsters.

Age ? I didn’t know there was a certain age of retirement
for cricketers. Even if a cricketer is absolutely fit and motivated, how does
his age matter ? If anyone in the world, it is a cricketer himself who knows
the best about his own body. And no other cricketer could analyze the state of
his own fitness better than Sachin Tendulkar.

We Indian cricket enthusiasts have forced so many fit and in
form cricketers into retirement. A certain Robin Singh, who is more than double
the age of many current Indian cricketers is still fitter and more agile than
them in the field. Yet we forced him to retire because of his age long ago.

People seemed to have got bored with Sachin. I wonder why we
never get bored of the non-performing over-aged politicians of the country as
well.

It is us Indians who made the man a ‘God’. And then we
expected him to work wonders every time he walked out to bat. And just when we
saw signs of him being human, we wanted him out. Talking of form, Sachin (being
out of form for months) still has better statistics during these last months
than many ‘young’ batsmen in the Indian team.

But we are so obsessed about our country. We want victories.
We want to be proud. I wonder how many of such proud Indian cricket fans can
remember the date when India
was ranked the No. 1 team in ‘Test cricket’. Or how many people remember the
number of days ‘Team India’
remained at rank No. 1 ?

But still we want victories. We want to be No. 1. Even if
after a victory we forget about it in a couple of days. But how many of us can
forget what Sachin did on that stormy night in Sharjah ? Or that six he hit off
Shoaib Akhtar at Centurion in the 2003 World Cup ? Or the first double-century
in one-day cricket ? Or the amazing set of innings in the 1996 World Cup ? The
list is endless. And also unforgettable. The records which he set will stand at
the top of the world for generations with (IND) written along his name. Something which
would be permanent. Wouldn’t that be what would make any Indian proud whenever
and wherever ?

There were talks of Sachin being selfish. The popular
concept going around was - ‘one should retire when one is at the peak of form rather
than at a time when out of form’. Now, aren’t these two contrasting logics ? I
always thought, if one retires at the peak of his form, isn’t one being selfish
to put himself first by going away with everything good around him for the sake
of his image ? Shouldn’t he be rather serving the country when he is at his
best ? And Sachin endorsed exactly this logic sometime back when asked about
his retirement.

People have become completely materialistic. I think us
Indian don’t even know what happiness is. Consider the following two scenarios.

[Scenarion A]

The Indian Team scores 300 singles batting first in a
one-day match. And then restricts the opposition at 180 for 2 in their 50 overs
and wins the match.

[Scenario B]

The Indian Team scores 220 runs being all-out in 40 overs
where a Sehwag hits 80 off 35 balls. But loses the match as the other team
scores 221 for 9 wickets on the last ball of the match.

Now which of the above scenario would one prefer. I’m sure
the average ‘well-wisher’ of Indian cricket looking for pride and victory would
happily opt for Scenario A.

It is evident that people have forgotten the essence of
sport. While a victory is certainly to be rejoiced, a loss is an experience to
learn from and improve oneself to be better prepared the next time. But people
today are simply intolerant to loss. The are happy to have hollow victories.
Even if they come in the form of a ‘Duckworth-Lewis’ rule.

And for the want of such hollow pride, we don’t even think
before dismissing those who gave us moments to cherish for a lifetime.

People say that the veterans have to make way for the
youngsters. But where are the youngsters ? There is still not a single
replacement of a Dravid/Laxman/Ganguly/Kumble in sight. If there is, he’ll not
need to have a way made for him. Sachin didn’t require a veteran to make way
for him. Neither did the other greats. Their merit got them through.

People talk of Virat Kohli. Ok. He may have loads and loads
and loads of talent. He may help India win many matches. He may even
surpass all of Sachin’s records (which I think he never will). But he will
never have the same class. And so he will never motivate me.

Class and character don’t come with success. They are
inherent to a person. Unlike a Virat Kohli, Sachin never needed to jump in the
air, jab a punch and shout abuses when he completed the run for his first
century. And neither did he need to after any of his 100 centuries. Humility
and discipline are the hallmark of greats such as Sachin, Dravid, Laxman,
Kumble, etc. But the Indian cricket fan gives a boot to such virtues.

Dear Indian cricket fan(atic), God gave you a ‘God’,
but you couldn’t even respect him. So rejoice, you ungrateful lot, in your delusion of
cricket-fanaticism. I’m done with it. What you really deserve is nothing more
than ‘IPL’.